Ask people what freedom means and you will get different answers. Ask people what the difference between freedom and Liberty is and you will usually get a blank stare. I believe that a country founded in Liberty is more free than one founded in freedom. Let’s look to Thomas Jefferson for a foundation:
Jefferson expressed a sophisticated, radical vision of liberty with awesome grace and eloquence. He affirmed that all people are entitled to liberty, regardless what laws might say. If laws don’t protect liberty, he declared, then the laws are illegitimate, and people may rebel. While Jefferson didn’t originate this idea, he put it in a way that set afire the imagination of people around the world, Moreover, he developed a doctrine for strictly limiting the power of government, the most dangerous threat to liberty everywhere.
Let’s define the two terms:
Freedom is a state of being capable of making decisions without external control.
Liberty, on the other hand, is freedom which has been granted to a people by an external control.
The degree of liberty that people enjoy is based on only one factor: their government. As Jefferson pointed out, the power of the government is the most dangerous threat to liberty everywhere. Socialists and Communists have a different view of freedom. We can see a great example below from Venezuela where freedom has been defined as food provided by the government.
In the United States, this same type of tyranny is called “soft tyranny”. Over 50% of the people are receiving food from the government. Whether the food is from government subsidies or workfare, the result is the same: Liberty has been granted by a federal government. This was never the intent of the founding fathers who understood the threat a federal government posed to both freedom and Liberty.
My goal is simple: start thinking about your freedom. Which freedom do you want? Do you want to live in a country where freedom is dictated by “rights” determined by the government. The right to an abortion. The right for healthcare? The right to a job? These are not the rights provided by liberty: they are the rights provided by the “government”with a never ending quest for power.
Do you want to live in a free country where people died to establish Liberty or do you want to live in a Socialist paradise where people define freedom through government subsidies?
David DeGerolamo
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Socialists and Communists have a different view of freedom. We can see a great example below from Venezuela.
“All I Have Is Hunger” – Many Venezuelans Too Weak To Protest Despite Maduro Misery
[…] … My goal is simple: start thinking about your freedom. Which freedom do you want? Do you want to live in a country where freedom is dictated by “rights” determined by the government. The right to an abortion. The right for healthcare? The right to a job? These are not the rights provided by liberty: they are the rights provided by the “government”with a never ending quest for power. Do you want to live in a free country where people died to establish Liberty or do you want to live in a Socialist paradise where people define freedom through government subsidies? David DeGerolamo https://ncrenegade.com//editorial/which-freedom-do-you-want/ […]
The sad part is most want to say they are free, but want the government to take care of them. They bad mouth places like Europe and say how how could they live under a socialist government. Then turn around and hold out their hand when they Social Security and Medicare buss drives by (I used that one because it was easy, but there are many more examples). Delusional fools at best, waving the flag yet seeking any self promoting way they can to trample the Constitution.
It burns me to no end to listen to hypocrite talk about how they love America and yet could not live one day in America (not the bastardized inbred country that we call America, but America as founded), because their outreached hand would go empty. Then they have the nerve to bad mouth socialist like they some statue of liberty living as a freeman. Hypocrites…
I better stop here. Sorry for the outburst.
“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free…”
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe
David --
I understand your intention here, but I think you risk confusing government with governance when you adopt those definitions for Freedom and Liberty.
In my research for the essay “In Search Of Mr Jefferson’s Liberty”, I concluded that Jefferson made a distinction between these words that does not involve the intrusion of government.
“Freedom, for a man in nature, is action according to his will regardless of outcome or consequence. Liberty is different. Liberty is action disciplined within a social context.” ~ HM
Social context for Jefferson was the proximity of other men whose equal sovereignty must be respected. No government need be involved; only self-governance. It is with that understanding Jefferson wrote his famous statement:
“Rightful Liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
ref: https://ncrenegade.com//editorial/in-search-of-mr-jeffersons-liberty/
While I did put a set of definitions in the article for freedom and liberty, I agree that they are open to interpretation. I would be satisfied if people understood that there is a difference between the two terms. The main point of the article is how people define freedom. Or rather accept the government’s definition of freedom.
I would not want to put words in your mouth but I think we agree that the freedom afforded by our current government is not the freedom envisioned by the founders.
I agree … infringement and encroachment are the defining characteristics of our modern nation-state.
Which Freedom Do You Want? Interesting question. want vs.Need
Which Freedom do we need?
External controll ? people would require less external controll if they had more internal controll. i only know of one source for internal controll.
America, Founded in liberty? Founded in external controll?
Or was america planned & promised, the result of a birthrite promise? Why did many begin escaping to this land? Who were they escaping from? And were they pursued, followed, and once again invaded?